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Understanding the simultaneous biodegradation of thiocyanate and salicylic acid by Paracoccus thiocyanatus and Pseudomonas putida

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Abstract

Phenolic and cyanide compounds, which frequently appear mixed in several industrial effluents, are difficult to be biodegraded under certain conditions. In this work, salicylic acid (SA) and thiocyanate (SCN−) were selected as model pollutants of these two families and experiments of biodegradation with specific microorganisms were developed. It was found that the best well-known bacteria able to biodegrade each one of these pollutants, Pseudomonas putida for SA and Paracoccus thiocyanatus for SCN−, do not biodegrade the other one. Therefore, the co-culture was required, producing interesting interaction phenomena. When both pollutants were simultaneously biodegraded, a commensalism effect was observed improving SCN− removal. Experimental data for SCN− and SA removals were successfully fitted to zero reaction kinetic orders, with induction time in the case of SCN−, and substrate dependences were fitted to Tessier models. A flow cytometry method was developed and employed to obtain the evolution of the viable, damaged and dead cells for different substrate concentration and the degree of agglomeration in the co-culture experiments.

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Acknowledgments

R. G. Combarros wishes to express gratitude for a research grant from the Government of the Principality of Asturias (Severo Ochoa Programme).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Environmental Technology, University of Oviedo, c/Julián Clavería s/n, 33071, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

    R. G. Combarros, S. Collado, A. Laca & M. Díaz

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  1. R. G. Combarros
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  2. S. Collado
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  3. A. Laca
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  4. M. Díaz
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Correspondence to M. Díaz.

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Combarros, R.G., Collado, S., Laca, A. et al. Understanding the simultaneous biodegradation of thiocyanate and salicylic acid by Paracoccus thiocyanatus and Pseudomonas putida . Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 13, 649–662 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-015-0906-y

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